Prison Break
by myownmind
Summary: Roy stops to help accident victims on a deserted stretch of highway on his day off. Unfortunately the passengers weren't innocent victims like he was used to dealing with.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Emergency. They belong to the people who created them and the actors who played them. The other characters may be loosely based on existing characters but that's just because I couldn't help myself. I'm still not making any money on this and borrowing the characters briefly before returning them relatively unharmed._

_Susanne_

_AN: This is a plot that I shared with emom. I'm waiting to see what she does with the general idea but I had to start posting my version. I'm looking forward to seeing the differences._

**CHAPTER ONE**

It was a beautiful spring day in Los Angeles County. It was nice enough that fireman/paramedic Roy DeSoto had the top down on his little convertible. The blond haired man hummed along with the radio while his thumbs tapped out the beat on the steering wheel.

It wasn't very often that Roy got to spent time alone in his car. Usually he had to drive his wife's car because Joanne and one or both of the kids rode with him on his days off. The convertible was primarily his car for driving to work and back. Today, however, Joanne was out visiting a sick friend and both of the kids were in school. That left him all alone, cruising the vaguely familiar streets.

The streets were vaguely familiar in that he'd planned his trip with a city map. Joanne's birthday was coming up. Rather than running out to the store the day before, which he frequently did, Roy had decided on a specific present. He had a good two weeks before the actual birthday but the present he wanted may have to be made so he wanted to get a jump on things.

Roy spared a glance at the map folded on the seat beside him. He should have taken the time to write the directions out. Trying to figure out where he was on the map while driving wasn't one of his more brilliant ideas. Sighing, Roy put the map down and went back to humming. During his shift yesterday at Station 51, Roy had phoned every jeweller in the yellow pages. He had a very specific gift in mind.

While Joanne was growing up her grandmother had worn a heart shaped pendant. Her grandfather had given it to her on their first anniversary. Joanne had always hoped that her grandmother would pass it down to her when she was done with it. Unfortunately, during the move from her grandmother's house to the nursing home, the chain and pendant had gotten misplaced. When Joanne and Roy moved Nana's few possessions from the nursing home following her passing, she'd looked for the pendant. It was nowhere to be found.

Roy knew how much the pendant meant to his wife. There had been many tears shed since its disappearance. Within the confines of the map was a picture of Nana wearing the pendant. The jeweller he'd talked to on the phone yesterday had said he was familiar with that particular pendant, based on Roy's description, and that he had some in stock. If the ones he had didn't match the one in the picture the man was prepared to make one for him. The image of Joanne's face when she opened the box was enough to make up for the probable cost of the item.

The traffic on the street was light. Roy was in an area of Los Angeles that he'd never been in before. The jeweller sounded like one of those little mom and pop operations but he didn't care. If the man could fulfill his wife's wish, Roy was willing to drive to the ends of the earth to get it. The place should be just around the corner. At least according to the map he'd read last night.

Sure enough, the jeweller's shop was a little hole in the wall between a laundry mat and a bar. The building was brick and looked like it had had other neighbours for the first part of its life. The buildings on either side of it were much more modern in appearance but looked a little run down anyway. The windows to the jewellery shop were sparkling clean while its neighbours were somewhat grungy from the Los Angeles smog.

Roy was very careful where he parked his car. The convertible was his baby. The last thing he wanted was to get the automobile damaged. It was currently in mint condition and he intended on keeping it that way. Climbing out of the car, Roy picked the map up and stepped onto the curb. Hopefully this wasn't going to take very long. It was Roy's day off, he'd love to take a drive along the ocean or do something else he didn't usually get to do by himself.

There weren't many times in Roy's adult life that he had been alone. Between marrying his high school sweetheart, being in the Army and then the fire department, his free time wasn't very often his own. Even when he went on vacation, camping or fishing or the like, it was usually with his partner, Johnny Gage or one of the other members of A shift at Station 51.

The thought made Roy feel a little guilty. He loved his family, both the one at home and the one at work. But it sure was nice to get away from it all if only for an hour or so. Walking up to the front door of the shop, Roy pushed the glass door with the metal bars on the inside open. A bell above the door jingled as the paramedic stepped inside.

"Hello there!!" an elderly man sitting on a stool behind the glass counter said brightly. The counter ran the entire length of the right side of the shop. The left side, ten feet away had a series of glass cases along it, all of which had heavy locks on them. Inside Roy could see from a distance some of the most beautiful pieces of jewellery he'd ever imagined. It looked like he was at the right place.

"Hi," Roy said, a smile brightening his blue eyes. "I'm Roy DeSoto. I talked to you on the phone yesterday about a pendant and chain that I'm looking for."

"Ah, yes, I remember you. Come here," the man said as he carefully extracted himself off the stool and padded to the end of his counter. The man waved an arthritic looking hand over a display of intricate heart-shaped pendants and their accompanying chains.

Leaning over the glass to get a better look, Roy pulled the picture out of the map and laid it where he could see both. "Is this the picture?" the shop keeper asked. The picture was an old black and white one from when Nana was in her early twenties. Roy could see where Joanne got her looks.

"Yeah," Roy replied as he turned the picture around so the shop keeper could get a better look. The man looked over his thick glasses. In a glance, Roy took in the man's mop of white hair that sat on his head like a halo. The man's eyes were blue, much like Roy's but had a rheumy look about them. The shop keeper's face was lined with wrinkles, especially in the corner of his eyes.

"Well," the shop keeper said. "I don't have this one but I'm familiar with it. If you could leave the picture with me I could make it in about a week, ten days."

"Really?" Roy breathed. He felt like several pounds had been lifted off his shoulders. "You could do that?"

"Certainly!" the shop keeper answered, a huge smile spreading across his face.

"How much will it cost?" Roy asked. He didn't really care but he had to make sure he had the cash with him. Joanne did the bills. He didn't want her to see a void check from this business before her birthday.

"I don't know," the shop keeper hedged. There was a twinkle in those blue eyes. The man knew Roy was a fire fighter. He knew that the fire department didn't pay very well. He could see just how important this was to the man. "Thirty dollars and I'll throw the chain in too."

At first Roy stared at the man in shock. Surely he was kidding, right? Roy was ready to pay a hundred or more. Custom work like this should cost much more than that.

"Are you sure? I thought it would cost more," Roy asked.

"For a member of the fire department, I will do it special," the man replied, the twinkling increasing. He loved doing this stuff!

"Are you sure?" Roy repeated in his shock.

"Positive. Come back in ten days, I will have it made by then," the shop keeper insisted as he gently placed the picture on a shelf just below the display case. He was going to spend extra time on this one.

"Thank you, thank you so much," Roy said. "Joanne is going to love this!"

Saying his good byes, Roy headed back out to his car. His head was swimming with images of Joanne's face. Excitement flowed through him. It was like the anticipation on Christmas Eve when he was a kid. Whistling a merry tune, Roy climbed into the driver's seat. It was going to be a good day.

Half an hour later, Roy wasn't so sure about his optimistic take on the day. He was lost. And not just a little. The map would have been a real help at the moment but it had blown out of the passenger's side ten minutes back. Well, it's all Los Angeles. Eventually he should find an area that he was familiar with.

Half an hour after that, Roy found himself driving along the ocean. He knew he was heading north, not the direction he wanted. Unfortunately, there wasn't any place to pull a u-turn. Somewhere along the way he'd left all of the main roads and was now following what amounted to little more than a dirt road. On one side of it was a steep cliff and the ocean, on the other was another sheer cliff. There was nowhere to go.

Then he saw it, just ahead was a turn out. Pulling into it, Roy performed a three point turn and headed back down the road. By now Joanne and the kids would be waiting for him at home. The sun was well past its zenith and was losing some of its warmth. If he didn't get home in the next half hour he was going to have to stop and put up the roof. All ready goose bumps were peppering his exposed arms. Suddenly this wasn't such a fun trip after all.

The stretch of road Roy was on was still deserted. At this time of day he expected someone else to be on it as well. No longer humming, feeling a little chilled, Roy continued down the road. Then he noticed on the ocean side a small plume of black smoke. The firefighter in him wouldn't let him drive right on by. Braking carefully, Roy pulled up on the side of the road a few feet away from the plume. If it was a fire he didn't want his car and its gas tank too close.

Killing the engine, Roy climbed out and moved over to the steep bank. Now that he was looking for it he saw tread marks leading to the edge and over it. Careful to not go over the edge before he was ready, Roy leaned over a little to see what was beyond the low brush. His stomach sank to his knees as his eyes came to rest on the yellow bus twenty feet below him.

"Damn it," Roy swore to himself. He went back to his car and popped the trunk. He pulled the tire iron and first aid kit out of it before heading back to the edge. The low shrubs kept the soil that made up the slope from sliding down into the ocean beyond. With their help Roy steadily made his way toward the bus. There was stencilling on the side of it but it was just the name of one of the bus companies. It didn't tell Roy who might be inside.

As he got closer Roy noticed just how very quiet the interior of the bus was. Maybe they'd all ready been extricated from the accident. He doubted it because he hadn't seen it on his way by the first time. Reaching the back of the bus amid small landslides of dirt, Roy made sure to not touch it. The long vehicle was perched rather precariously on a large boulder. It was the only thing preventing it from skidding the rest of the way down the slope and crashing on the large boulders just along the surf line.

"Hello?" Roy called out as he carefully made his way along the passenger side of the bus. He knew the folding door was on this side. If there was someone inside he wanted to make sure he could get them out as quickly as possible.

After several heart stopping moments, Roy came up to the folding doors and looked beyond. Slumped in the driver's seat was an older man in a uniform. From where he stood, leaning in to look through the window, Roy couldn't tell if the man was breathing or not. The fact that he was there, however, told him that he was the first one on scene. Placing the first aid kit on the ground by his feet, Roy placed the tire iron between the doors and heaved.

The metal of the doors at first resisted him. Putting his shoulder into it, Roy tried again to pry them apart. Under his hands he could feel the bus shifting and rocking slightly. He had to get the driver out before this thing went the rest of the way down. His muscles strained and sweat broke out on his forehead as Roy continued to pry. Then, with a pop, the doors separated and Roy nearly fell inside.

"Hey, are you okay?" Roy asked as he climbed the stairs to reach the driver. He was so intent on the driver, his obvious victim, that Roy didn't see the three men huddled in the aisle. As he reached the driver and slid his hand over his neck to feel for a pulse, the LA County Fireman was tackled from the side, sending him flying toward the windshield.

Roy tried to recover from the crack to his head on the unrelenting glass as a pair of strong hands caught him by the arms and pulled him to the ground on his stomach. Under him he could feel the bus continue to teeter on its perch. "I'm here to help," Roy got out as the wind was crushed out of his body. All he could see were feet, the legs from the seats and beyond that the wire barrier after the first set of seats. He was in a prison bus and the door in the barrier was sitting wide open.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

"You're going to get us out of here, fish," a deep, menacing voice growled from above Roy. He could feel multiple pairs of hands pushing him down, making it hard to get his breath back.

"That's what I'm here for," Roy managed. He tried to push his body off the ground. The teetering was getting worse. They needed to get out of here. Roy was forced back down onto the vinyl flooring, the furrows pressing into the skin on the right side of his face. It felt like five people had climbed on top of him.

"The bus is going to fall. We need to get out," Roy wheezed. Bright red spots were beginning to float past his eyes. He knew he was reacting to the lack of oxygen. If they didn't get off him soon he was going to pass out and possibly suffocate.

"Get off of him," a new voice urged. "He's the only one who can reach the keys."

The weight lifted off of Roy. Closing his eyes, he took huge lungfulls of air, trying to clear his head. Then he was being pulled up to his feet. Afraid of what the men were going to do to him, Roy quickly opened his eyes and tried to see beyond the dark edges that were beginning to fade. He found seven hard looking men glaring at him. Three were to his right, between him and the open door while the other four were between him and the back. He had nowhere to go.

"The guard has the keys," the nearest man told him. He lifted his right hand to show a handcuff that chained him to the seatback beside him. While he was as hardened as the others, he didn't have the burning hatred smouldering in his dark gray eyes. "We can't get out and this thing is going over at any second."

"If you let me by I'll get them. I just want to get us all out of here before this thing goes over the edge," Roy tried to reassure the men once he got his breath back. The one who'd spoken stepped out of his way immediately. The man directly behind him was massive. He filled the aisle and more. Muscles rippled as he clenched and unclenched his hands. Then he too stepped out of his way. The last man was about Roy's height and build. There was something about him that set Roy's nerves on edge worse than they all ready were. The man looked Roy up and down before he stepped to the side. There was something in his pale blue eyes that made Roy feel like a piece of meat.

"How do we know he's not going to run for it?" one of the men at the back of the bus demanded.

"If he does we're dead. It's better than being in prison," one of the other men said.

Carefully, Roy made his way to the guard. He checked for a pulse and was disappointed to find that there wasn't one. Being as respectful as he could, given the need for haste, Roy searched the man's body until he found the key. It was in the ignition, along with the one for the bus. As Roy reached for it to turn the ignition off, fire sprouted out from under the hood. With a quick flick of his wrist, Roy turned the silent engine off and withdrew the keys. As much as he didn't want to release these men he couldn't leave them here to die either.

"Give me the key, man," the smaller man at the front demanded. Roy stood at the front of the bus, a slight pounding beginning in his head, the keys clenched in his hand as he weighed his options. The other inmates were beginning to protest and shift around nervously. The increased movement was enough to send the bus teetering a little harder. Under his feet, Roy could feel metal scraping on rock. The decision was made for him.

Warily, Roy took a step toward the nearest man and held the key out. He was trying to keep from getting any closer than absolutely necessary. The man snatched the key from his fingers and frantically tried to undo his handcuff. Leaving the men to fend for themselves, Roy moved over to the guard. He didn't want to leave him in the bus to be incinerated. The man had a family. Roy could see the wedding ring on his hand. They would need to have a chance to bury their loved one.

Gingerly, Roy pulled the body out from behind the steering wheel and began dragging him toward the door. By now the first two men had gotten out of the handcuffs. They pushed by Roy on their way through the door. The larger man nearly sent Roy into the windshield again in his haste to get out of the death trap. Ignoring them, Roy continued to struggle with the body. The next man paused long enough to grab hold of the body and helped Roy pull him out the open door. Roy figured it was more due to a strong sense of self preservation than any real feeling of sympathy but it didn't matter. At least the guard was out of the bus now.

As Roy tried to regain his feet, he'd stumbled under the guard's two hundred pounds plus frame, he felt something cold circle his wrist. Glancing at it he was dismayed to find a handcuff snapped on his left wrist. "What?" he said in shock. Then the large man snapped the other end of the handcuff on his own wrist.

"You're going to get us out of here, fish," he growled. To bring the point home, he pulled on the handcuff sharply. Roy hadn't been prepared for the action and went sprawling at the man's feet. A large smile spread across the inmate's face. "Have a nice trip?"

"I was going to get you all out of here, why did you put this on me?" Roy asked as he scrambled back up onto his feet. Fear was gnawing at his stomach. What had he gotten himself into?

"This way I know where you are. All the time," the inmate growled as he pulled the short chain between the handcuffs causing Roy to stagger again. The man was very strong. He was stronger than Roy, which terrified him. Roy was used to being able to do anything he needed to. At this point, he was at the man's mercy and it appeared he didn't have much to spare.

The last of the inmates sprang out of the now badly seesawing bus. As his feet left the bottom tread of the stair the bus made a final loud groan. Then it slowly began a downward slide. As more of the long vehicle ground over the boulder it picked up speed. Within moments it plunged over the edge. On the way down the fire spread to the engine and the fuel tank. The resulting explosion knocked all of the men on top of the cliff to their knees.

"What the hell, Johnson?" one of the inmates demanded as they gathered themselves up and climbed to their feet.

"What?" Johnson, the large inmate, growled. While they were all convicted felons, Connors always seemed to have an air of superiority about him. It was as if he didn't know where he was, like he was on a beach somewhere, not in prison. His whole attitude drove Johnson to distraction. The only thing that had kept him from pounding the younger and smaller man into the ground was the fact that the guards all liked him and protected him.

"Why'd you do that? He helped us just like he said he would," Connors demanded. He was furious upon seeing the hand cuff around the blond man's wrist. Especially, when he saw where the other end of it was connected. Johnson had a real mean streak and had been known to not care whether he had sex with men or women. His only preference was how quickly he could find a partner. The shocked look on the blond man's face sent ice through Anderson's veins. This was going to be very bad for their rescuer.

"It's none of your business," Johnson spat.

"Okay, okay. Let's just get out of here before the cops show up. Someone's going to see that smoke and call it in," an inmate said. Roy looked around at the seven men surrounding him. The one who had just spoken wasn't much older than the fireman. He was about the same size and build but the others seemed to look at him as the leader. Even Johnson, the man he was handcuffed to, seemed to cede to his logic.

"Fine by me," Johnson said. He pulled Roy up in front of him and looked down into the blond paramedic's blue eyes. "Do you have a car?"

"Yes. It's up on the road but it only seats two," Roy said. He had the feeling he didn't want to anger this man. Standing as tall as he could, Roy only came up to the man's chest.

"Cool. Lead the way," Johnson ordered. Roy wasn't sure how he was supposed to climb with this giant attached to his arm but he moved over to the slope. The giant moved with him and began to climb as well. They had to have their movements coordinated or else Roy wound up being pulled up the side of the cliff instead of climbing it.

After what felt like an eternity to Roy, the eight of them finally reached the roadway. Roy's wrist had begun to bleed where the metal handcuff had cut into his flesh. Most of the damage had been caused by Johnson pulling him up the cliff face. The man had longer legs and could move faster. Taking great heaving breaths, Roy paused on the roadway to catch his breath. His convertible was parked several feet to his left.

"What now, Connors?" the slimy inmate asked. They were all dressed in blue jeans with white t-shirts and denim shirts. At a glance it was hard to tell that they were convicts. The only one that stood out was Roy.

"We can't all go in the car," the leader responded. "But we can't stay together either. We need to split up. It'll make tracking us harder. Two of you should head out in the car."

Roy considered briefly arguing about them taking his car but then he realized there wasn't anything he could do to stop them at this point. He just hoped they wouldn't wreck it.

"Give me the keys," one of the inmates demanded, stepping up close to Roy. The man obviously didn't find hygiene important. He had really bad breath and worse teeth. He and another man had elected themselves to take the car. None of the others protested as Roy dug in his pocket and pulled out the keys. With great regret, Roy dropped the keys to his baby into the grubby hand and then he was forced to watch as it sped away from him. For the first time pure, unadulterated fear burned through his body.

"Now what?" Johnson demanded. To relieve some of his tension, he pulled on the handcuff abruptly, forcing Roy to stumble into his side. He really liked the feeling of power this was giving him. He looked down at the shorter man as he pulled himself back onto his feet. Fear rolled off of him in waves. This was going to be fun.

"I'm staying with you and the fish," Connors said. He glanced around at the other four men. "Where you go is up to you. You're free, enjoy it while it lasts."

"Well now, I'd like to stay with the fish too," the slimy inmate said as he looked Roy over again. Roy felt his skin crawl. For the first time in his life, Roy felt afraid for his body. He didn't much like it.

"Whatever," Connors said. Without bothering to say another word, he headed off up the roadway. Within several feet he slipped into the foliage on the side away from the cliff. Johnson hesitated for a moment before following, pulling Roy along in his wake. Roy had to trot to keep up. It was going to be a very long day and he was all ready exhausted.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi! Thank you for continuing to read this story. Don't worry Elf I'm not going to let Roy get raped. I thought that be putting Roy off center completely he would be less likely to find a way out of his present situation. It won't be as much fun if he gets out too quickly. ;) _

_PLEASE let me know how I'm doing!!_

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER THREE**

They were climbing up the side of a hill. Roy was having a very hard time keeping up. Johnson seemed to take perverse pleasure in causing him to stumble and fall. By the time they'd been traveling for half an hour his knees and hands were abraded from multiple falls. Connors was leading the way, followed by Roy and Johnson. Anderson was bringing up the rear which made Roy even more nervous than he was.

"Where are we going?" Johnson growled. Absent minded, he pulled on the chain again, causing Roy to stumble. He caught his balance before he went down completely but the whole process was starting to wear a little thin.

"I don't know," Connors responded. He did have a destination in mind but he didn't feel like sharing it with Johnson. The man really was a pain in the ass. He slipped his right hand into his front pocket and fingered the handcuff key. He'd made sure to pocket it as he climbed out of the bus. He'd been the last one undone and the last one off. He'd considered flinging the key as far away as he could when he'd spotted Johnson slip the cuff on Roy. Connors heaved a heavy sigh and continued on. They had a long way to go before nightfall.

"Why don't we stop here to rest for a little while?" Anderson asked. He was entertaining some particularly dark thoughts where the civilian was concerned. Now if only he could get him away from Johnson. The big thug would want to keep him for himself. He wasn't very good at sharing.

"No. We have to get further from the crash before it's found," Connors responded without breaking stride. He knew what the other two men were about. He had no intention of letting the civilian fall prey to their twisted needs.

"I thought you said you didn't know where we were going," Johnson stated. Beside him he could hear his new friend gasping. He knew he was walking too fast but it was Connors that was setting the pace.

"We're getting as far away from the crash as possible. Beyond that I'm making it up as I go along," Connors spat. He felt sorry for the civilian but he had no intention of getting caught again. He was guilty of the crime they'd tried him for but he still didn't want to spend the rest of his life in prison for what he'd done.

"Sshh, I hear someone coming," Anderson hissed. The inmate crouched down behind a dense bush. He kept looking back in the direction they had just come.

The other three also took refuge behind cover. There was no way it could be the police. As far as they knew no one had found the crash yet, much less found a phone and reported it. Roy was pressed against the ground as Johnson leaned over him, ostensibly to protect him. Panic was gnawing at Roy's mind. How was he going to get out of this? He had no way to break free of the handcuff unless he found a police officer with a spare key. Somehow he didn't think Johnson was going to let him get away.

Even from his position scrunched into the ground, Roy could hear sounds of feet shuffling through the undergrowth. Roy tried to lift his head up enough to see what was going on, he really hated not knowing. He was promptly pushed back down into the dirt. Johnson was really enjoying this a little too much. The handcuff bit a little deeper into Roy's wrist as he tried to get his nose and mouth out of the dirt.

"Keep down," Johnson growled. Then he seemed to notice Roy's predicament and let up a little. Gasping quietly, Roy tried to inflate his lungs.

Two men came out of the trees. Instantly, Connors stood back up and made a bee line toward them.

"What are you doing here?" Connors demanded. "What part of splitting up didn't you understand?"

When Johnson finally let Roy get up, he found that the two men were inmates as well. He vaguely recalled them but he wasn't sure if it was a good thing or bad. Deliberately, Johnson pulled on the cuff. Roy had to take a step closer to the large man or else risk further damage to his wrist. While the inmates argued, Roy glanced down at his hand. All ready, he saw that a thin trail of blood was trickling down his hand. His stomach flipped upon seeing the deep furrows that had caused the blood.

"You want to stick around, fine. Just make sure you can keep up," Connors growled. He hadn't had much to do with the brothers. He knew he didn't want to have anything to do with most of the people he'd been in prison with. The few he had liked hadn't been on the bus.

"Sure, no problem," the elder of the brothers responded. Then they were off again.

OOOOO

The sound of cars rushing along the highway drifted to them through the trees. Roy felt the first signs of hope begin to stir. He might just get out of this yet.

The group crouched down in the shrubs along the highway. Connors wanted to take a few moments to examine the situation before exposing themselves. He glanced over at the Good Samaritan. The blond man looked a little shell shocked. Not entirely unexpected given his present situation. He wished Johnson would undo the handcuff. He knew the big man was a sadist who loved being in control. He would have a better chance of getting the man away from Johnson if it wasn't for the metal shackle. Sighing in frustration, Connors looked back at the highway between them and the hills beyond.

"What are we waiting for?" Anderson whined. He felt better when they were moving. Sitting still seemed like a really bad idea. They needed to cover as much ground as possible before the search started up.

"I'm thinking," Connors growled. Anderson had the ability to drive him nuts. There was just something about the man that absolutely drove Connors out of his mind. There had been nights in his cell when he couldn't sleep that Connors had tried to come up with the most imaginative ways possible to get rid of the man. Luckily for Anderson, Connors hadn't had the chance to implement any of his ideas.

The highway wasn't very busy at this time of the day. For that Connors was grateful. Glancing both ways, Connors broke cover and sprinted across the asphalt. Behind him he could hear the others following. Half way across, he heard a scuffle. Connors glanced over his shoulder to see the Good Samaritan sprawled on the road, Johnson dragging him along by the handcuff. The man couldn't get his feet under him because Johnson was deliberately moving too fast.

"Johnson, give him a break," Connors growled. Completely ignoring him, Johnson dragged the man all the way over to the other shoulder. The small trickle of blood that Connors had noticed earlier was heavier as the metal bit further into the man's wrist. His hands and his knees were skinned rather well from being dragged. Once they reached the shoulder, Johnson stopped moving and glanced down at the man as he struggled up to his feet. Swallowing quickly, the man ran a trembling hand over his mouth as he looked around at his companions. Despite his best efforts, Roy felt a dark despair creeping up over him.


	4. Chapter 4

_Hi!! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! You make my day with each one. I especially like the ones that let me know what I'm doing and right and what I'm doing wrong. It's the best way to correct things._

_This chapter is a little shorter but I wanted to get something out today. Hopefully the next one will be longer. Have a great week!_

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER FOUR**

As a group they continued for two more hours. By then Roy's wrist was so sore he tried desperately to make sure it didn't get pulled on any more. During a very brief stop, Roy had tried to find something to bandage it but was unsuccessful. That was mostly due to the fact that Johnson wouldn't leave him alone long enough to accomplish the feat.

If anyone had asked Roy if he was in shape this morning, he would have said yes. At the moment, he had serious doubts about that assumption. He was breathing like a locomotive and kept losing his balance. Part of that was due to Johnson pulling on the handcuff, the other part was because Roy had a shorter stride than the taller man. Johnson seemed to take perverse pleasure in seeing Roy trip.

They'd reached the top of the nearest hill/mountain. Where they stood to catch their breath had a great view of the highway, the cliff and the rolling ocean beyond. So far it appeared that no one had found the crash, which suited Connors just fine. Breathing a little easier, he headed down the other side.

Roy struggled to keep up, his mind churning. By now Joanne and the kids should be home, wondering where he was. In another hour or so she'd start phoning around, looking for him. That would get Johnny going in a hurry. He knew about Roy's plan to get Joanne the locket. He even knew where Roy was going. The only thing Roy didn't know was whether Johnny would tell her. After all it was supposed to be a surprise.

While he was distracted by his deep thoughts, Roy's foot twisted on a loose stone. Before he had the chance to regain his balance, Roy slid downward, right into Johnson's lower legs. In a jumble of limbs, the two men continued down the hill side.

"Whoa!" Anderson cried as he managed to jump out of the way. Connors turned at the shout and the crashing noises coming toward him and had to dive to get out of the way as well. The two brothers just stood at the top of the slope and watched with bemused expressions on their faces.

Half way down the slope Roy ran into a sapling. His momentum sent it doubling over but not before his ribs made contact with it. They bent as far as they could before micro fractures spread through them. Roy gasped as pain blossomed from his right side. Then he was too busy trying to stay conscious.

At the bottom of the slope, Johnson came to a stop, on top of a wheezing Roy. He lay where he was for a few moments while he tried to catch his breath. Then he looked down at the blond paramedic. His face was white as a sheet, his eyes tightly closed as he wheezed against the cracked ribs. If he had the breath, he'd tell the much larger man to get off of him. Clearly, Johnson was enjoying lying on top of him a little too much.

A few seconds later, Connors joined them on the valley bottom and pulled Johnson off. The big man could only go so far because of the hand cuff. Blood trickled from under the metal loop, pooling on the ground as Roy continued to collect himself. Kneeling down beside him, Connors pulled the key out of his pocket and unlocked the cuff. He was going to have to bandage this somehow before the man bled to death.

"What are you doing?" Johnson demanded as he rose to his feet. Anger was burning through his system.

"He's hurt. I just want to bandage up his wrist before he bleeds to death. A dead hostage isn't going to do us any good," Connors barked. He pulled a length of cloth off the bottom of his shirt. Before Johnson could intervene, Connors wrapped it around Roy's wrist. Startled, the paramedic opened his eyes and glazed, somewhat dazedly, at the inmate.

"He's mine," Johnson growled. "You shouldn't be touching him."

By now the other three had joined them. The brothers hung back, waiting to see how this little drama would play out. Roy was still on his back, trying to pull air into his resisting body. Every deep breath sent pain slicing through his side but shallow breaths didn't quite satisfy. He knew his wrist hurt but it was swallowed up by a mild sense of panic.

"Fine," Connors growled back. Now was not the time to argue. They needed to get moving. One way or another. The wrist wrapped as good as he was going to get it, Connors put the cuff back on. He was careful to not tighten it too much but Roy hissed in pain anyway. Then Connors reached down and pulled the slightly shorter man to his feet.

The change in elevation brought a wave of nausea crashing through Roy. He swallowed rapidly to try to control it. He was successful for a full minute. Then he was bent over, his body heaving to rid itself of everything he'd eaten so far that day. All ready feeling weak, Roy was starting to tremble with fatigue as the dry heaves began.

"Thanks for sharing that with us," Anderson intoned. He'd turned his back. He had a weak stomach. Just the sound of the man throwing up was enough to send his own stomach churning.

"We need to find somewhere to spend the night," Connors said, watching as the paramedic finally finished. He had to help Roy stand up. The man was shaking, he was so weak. Damn, just what they needed.

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Johnson agreed. Connors didn't much like the glint in the taller man's eyes. Roy was standing, holding his side, as he tried to remain upright. This day just kept getting better.

"Let's get moving. We've been lucky so far. Let's not push it," Connors said. He picked a direction, any direction and set off. Before too long Johnson was practically carrying Roy. The paramedic couldn't keep up. His ribs weren't allowing him to breathe deeply enough. It was like trying to scale a mountain without oxygen.

Supposedly to help the smaller man, Johnson ran his hand around Roy's back, effectively pinning his hand cuffed arm but also taking a good amount of his weight. The only problem was that he was also pressing against the cracked ribs at strange intervals. Each time, Roy gasped and felt his legs give out. Johnson seemed to like that. Roy wished he'd wake up at home. Now. After having a really bad, really vivid dream.

Connors kept going as fast as he could manage. The sooner they got someplace safe for the night the better. He wasn't sure how much farther the civilian was going to be able to go. Things couldn't get much more complicated, could they?


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

The sun was starting to set when they found it. In the gathering gloom among the trees, Connors spotted a cabin. It looked to be long abandoned. The few windows that it had were broken. The wooden door hung on its top hinge. Its walls were made of full sized logs. It was tiny, maybe fifteen feet by ten feet in size. Roy thought it looked like something out of "Daniel Boone".

"What's this?" Johnson demanded. He stopped short, nearly pulling the struggling Roy off his feet. The larger man caught hold of the smaller man's shoulder and kept him from falling. Ostensibly to keep Roy from stumbling any more, Johnson pulled him against his side. Roy struggled weakly but ultimately it didn't make much difference.

"We need someplace to spend the night," Connors replied. He glanced at the civilian. Even in the low light he could see how pale the man was. He could also see the grimaces that kept flashing over his features. The heat of the day had vanished with the sun. A shiver passed up his back. They were going to have to find shelter for the night or they were at risk of exposure.

"We should keep moving," the shorter of the two brothers stated. He and his younger brother didn't want to stop. He could almost hear the hounds baying in the darkness. It had never been their intention to escape custody. Both of them had had every intention of serving their time. But when opportunity knocked, who were they to turn it down?

"I don't know about you but I'm exhausted. I need to get some sleep before I keep running," Connors replied. Ignoring the others, he walked up to the door and pulled it open. Inside the darkness was profound. It smelled musty and old. The hairs standing up on the back of his neck, Connors stepped into the single room.

The moment Connors disappeared, Johnson turned to his new friend. "You'll be sleeping with me," he said as a wicked grin spread across his face. Roy's stomach dropped somewhere around his knees. All he really wanted at the moment was to go home, to climb into bed with his wife and forget any of this had ever happened. A small voice in the back of his mind kept asking, "Shouldn't they be looking for him by now?"

O-O-O-O-O

Johnny had gone to bed early. He wasn't feeling quite right and wanted to make sure that whatever it was had passed before he had to go back to work. The sound of the phone ringing brought him awake in an instant.

"Johnny?" he heard the familiar voice of Joanne ask after he mumbled a hello. There was a frightened edge to her voice that made the young paramedic sit up straight in bed.

"Joanne? What's going on?" Johnny asked. He was all ready grabbing at his jeans on the floor and the shirt he'd worn that day.

"I'm really sorry to be calling so late, Johnny, but Roy doesn't happen to be with you, does he?" Joanne asked. She sounded very much like a frightened school girl. Johnny knew that she had waited until she couldn't stand it anymore before calling.

"No, he's not here, Joanne. I haven't talked to him at all today," Johnny responded. He had his jeans on and was working one handed on his socks. The conversation he'd had with his partner about Joanne's birthday gift played quickly through his head. He knew where Roy had gone but he also knew that he should have been back long ago. Fear began gnawing at his stomach.

"Oh," Joanne said. Johnny could almost hear her deflating on the other end of the phone.

"When did you talk to him last?" Johnny asked. He'd gotten his right sock on and was working on the left one.

"This morning. I spend the day with a sick friend. I made sure I was home for the kids when they came home from school. I knew Roy had some running around to do today but I thought he'd be done long before this. It's so unlike him to not even call," Joanne explained in a rush. Johnny could hear the tears in her voice.

"You're right, Joanne. He would have called if he could. Look, I know some of the places he was heading. I'll drive down there and see if he's had car trouble or something," Johnny tried to reassure his partner's wife. The last thing he felt like doing at the moment was going out into the chilly spring night, especially with his scratchy throat and runny nose, but he had to. Now that he thought about it, he knew that something had been gnawing at him for most of the day.

"Thank you, Johnny. Please call me when you find him," Joanne breathed.

"Don't worry, you'll be the first person I make him call," Johnny said. Quickly he hung up the phone and then picked it up again. He dialled the number he needed by memory and waited.

"Hello?" he heard his captain's sleepy voice mumble into the receiver.

"Hi, Cap. Sorry to be calling so late but I need some help. Joanne just called. Roy hasn't made it home yet. I'm going to go out looking for him. It would help if I had an extra set of eyes or two," Johnny filled him in in a rush.

"Johnny? What time is it?" Captain Stanley asked as he quickly sat up in bed. A quick glance at the clock showed that it was nearly midnight. What the hell would Roy be doing out at this time of night?

"I'm not sure," Johnny admitted. He pulled on his cowboy boots one handed and proceeded to pull his shirt on. "Roy went to that jeweller's place on the north side to get that pendant made for Joanne's birthday. Even if he'd gotten lost he should have been home a long time ago."

"Where do you want to meet up?" Captain Stanley asked as he began pulling clothes on.

"I'm going to phone a couple of the other guys. Meet us at the station in twenty minutes," Johnny said.

O-O-O-O-O

It was cold in the shack. Once they got in the inmates realized that there wasn't much of a roof left. What roof there was only covered about a quarter of the room. From where Roy was curled on his sore side, he could turn and look up at the sky. Despite his exhaustion, the fireman was finding it very hard to sleep. That could have been because Johnson was curled up against his back, his free arm thrown over Roy's stomach to keep him close. Roy's cuffed hand was trapped between them. He'd long ago lost all sensation in the limb. For once though, he was grateful. Roy wasn't sure he really wanted to feel the other man's body with his hand.

The more rational part of Roy's mind knew that the big man's body was the only thing keeping him from feeling the effects of hypothermia. The less rational part of his mind desperately wanted to crawl away from the man and curl up in a corner somewhere. The pain in his side was making it very hard for him to breathe properly. The proximity of the large, unwashed body didn't help much either. Roy was forced to breathe through his mouth.

All around him, Roy could hear the convicts breathing as they slept. He wasted a few minutes trying to get his arm free from between them but gave up when he felt his back getting wet. He assumed he'd started bleeding again. Cursing under his breath, Roy turned his head and looked up at the sky beyond the broken roof. A multitude of stars winked at him, more stars than he'd seen in quite some time. Apparently, they'd traveled further into the hills than Roy had realized. Otherwise the lights of LA would have overshadowed the most of the stars above.

Roy began to tremble. He wasn't sure if it was from cold or a delayed reaction to everything that had happened today. The trembling did little to help the pain in his side. Roy was forced to grit his teeth to keep from crying out. The last thing he wanted was to wake Johnson. So far the man had been overbearing and possessive but no real harm had come to the fireman. He desperately wanted to keep it that way.

On the other side of the room, under the section that still had a roof, Connors opened his eyes and looked at the two men. He didn't want to give Johnson the chance of ravage the man. In all his years in prison, Connors had never condoned that kind of behaviour. He could see from the man's expressions that he wasn't gay. He wanted to make sure that the man wasn't introduced to the lifestyle against his will.

Satisfied that Johnson really was sleeping, Connors closed his eyes and tried to rest. They were going to have to get going in a couple of hours. He fully expected the cops to be searching for them. Connors doubted very much that they were resting.

O-O-O-O-O

Twenty minutes after the first phone call, the members of A shift were in the parking lot of Station 51. All five of them were standing beside Johnny's Land Rover.

"Maybe we should call the police?" Mike Stoker suggested.

"You know the drill, Mike," Chet Kelly said. "He isn't officially missing for forty eight hours."

"We could get Vince to start looking for him unofficially," Mike pressed. He had every intention of searching for Roy but he wanted to cover as much ground as possible.

"That's a good idea, Mike," Captain Stanley said. "I'll go get Robertson to set it up." Quickly, he headed into the station's back door. This was Captain Robertson's shift. The older captain would be more than willing to help but the shift needed to stay here in case a fire or emergency popped up.

"Where are we going to start searching?" Marco Lopez asked. He glanced over at Johnny. He could see the fear burning in the young paramedic's eyes. Marco could feel the same sensation burning in his own stomach.

"I know where the jewellery shop is. I phoned him after I talked to you guys. He lives above it. He said that Roy was there around one o'clock this afternoon. I say we start there," Johnny said. He was itching to get going.

"Sounds good. We'll take three vehicles and split up from there," Stanley said as he rejoined his team. Without saying a word, he climbed into the passenger side of Johnny's Land Rover. Mike and Marco got into Mike's car while Chet got into his own. A moment later, they headed out, Johnny's vehicle in the lead.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Roy came awake suddenly. It took him a split second to realize what had startled him so badly. He'd looked around the dark cabin for a full minute before he felt it. Johnson was rubbing his hand up and down his chest.

A chill started in Roy's stomach and passed through his entire body. "Stop," Roy said as he tried to catch hold of the man's hand. Johnson pulled away from his grip. He knew instinctively that the man wasn't going to listen but he half hoped one of the others would wake up and try to stop him.

"Hmmm. I'm just getting started," Johnson whispered into Roy's left ear. The chill became a tremor. Johnson's hand strayed toward Roy's stomach. Angry, Roy caught hold of it again and tried to stop him. Unfortunately the man was significantly stronger than he was. With a soft chuckle, Johnson pulled his hand away and continued his descent. The man's putrid breath was coming faster against Roy's cheek.

Desperate to break free, Roy brought his left elbow forward and swung it as hard as he could against the man's body behind him. A grunt followed while Johnson's hand gripped him tighter in reaction to the pain. A louder chuckle and then Roy was being flipped around onto his back. For the first time in hours his shackled arm was free but it was still numb and useless.

"Get away from me," Roy demanded as he struggled to put a little more distance between them. He tried to scuttle backward on his butt but couldn't get very far. Even in the dim moonlight, Roy could see the lust burning in the man's eyes. A fear he'd never known before began to burn in his heart.

"No," Johnson replied. His right hand came out of the dark and punched Roy in the side of the head. Momentarily stunned, Roy was unable to defend himself when Johnson caught hold of his hair and smashed his skull against the ground three more times. The world began spinning drunkenly and sparks burned before his eyes.

"That's more like it," Johnson muttered. Roy was only distantly aware of the man undoing his shirt. His skin crawled as the strong, callused fingers rubbed over his cold skin. As Roy tried to gain control of his body again, he felt the fingers move down to the waist band of his jeans.

Fear spiked adrenaline into Roy's system. With his free left arm, he sent an uppercut into Johnson's chin. Not expecting the attack, the big man's head snapped backward with a loud grunt. Taking advantage of the man's momentary lapse, Roy jammed his knee into the man's groin. Not something he'd normally do but these were abnormal times. Roy was disgusted and unnerved to realize Johnson had been aroused when his knee made contact.

Breath whooshed out of the inmate upon impact. He bent forward as he struggled to inflate his lungs and recover from the burning pain running through his groin. While he recovered, Roy tried to move as far away as he could. He was still a paramedic and was unable to force himself to press his advantage further.

Growling like a bear, Johnson brought his head up and glared at the man attached to his wrist. This wasn't much fun anymore. Now he wasn't sure if he could perform the act with the pain coming from his member. He could see the fear burning in the smaller man's eyes. That just made him madder.

The growl became deeper. Then Johnson's hand shot out and gripped Roy by the throat. The move was so sudden that the still dazed fireman had no defence against it. Roy tried to use his free hand and his cuffed one to release the pressure on his throat but to no avail. Within seconds the world became darker and then brighter as red flashes appeared before his eyes.

Gasping for breath that wouldn't come, Roy felt his oxygen starved mind begin to give in. His eyes fluttered shut as darkness fell over them. He was only vaguely aware that Johnson was rumbling at the fasteners on his jeans with his free hand. Then he fell into oblivion.

The big man let go of his target, allowing the man to slump bonelessly to the floor, so that he could give the article of clothing his full attention. He revelled in the sense of power he felt over the unconscious man lying in front of him. Just as he got the zipper all the way down and was starting to pull the two halves apart to reveal the blue boxers underneath, his world went black. His body slumped over his intended victim.

OOOOO

The three vehicles pulled up in front of the jewellery store. Johnny was in the lead and was surprised to find that Vince was all ready there in his black and white squad car. Putting his Land Rover in park, the young paramedic jumped out and crossed the distance to where Vince was standing in a heartbeat.

The dark skinned officer had been leaning against his car when they pulled up. Now that they were stopped, he was striding up to Johnny. The fear on Vince's face was plain to see.

"What's going on?" Johnny asked as they met between the two vehicles.

"I just heard it over the radio. Roy's car was involved in a high speed chase through downtown," the police officer informed him. The other firemen had joined them.

"What?" Captain Stanley breathed. That didn't sound like Roy at all. The man was the most honest person he'd ever dealt with.

"When they finally got it pulled over they found two escaped inmates inside. So far they're not talking but they were being transported for trial along with five other men this afternoon. They never made it to the court house. We have units out searching for the bus but so far it's still missing," Vince said. Fear for the senior paramedic was burning in his stomach. He had no idea how Roy had gotten involved in all of this but obviously the man was in trouble.

"How did they get Roy's car?" Marco wondered. The Hispanic fireman had been hoping they had the car to search for. It was a much bigger target than a lone person in the city of Los Angeles.

"Like I said, they aren't talking yet. My Captain said I could help you with the search even though it's not my district. He'll release more officers to search after the bus is found. Unfortunately, the other five escaped convicts are our primary concern at the moment. All of them are in prison for murder," Vince informed them. "This is where Roy was this morning. Let's see if we can figure out where he went from here."

Johnny's head swam while Vince and his Captain laid out a plan of attack. Roy wasn't in his car. Somehow escaped convicts had wound up with it but Roy wasn't there. If he'd had contact with the two men long enough for them to steal his car, chances were Roy had been in contact with the other five. What the hell was going on with his partner?

OOOOO

It was the growling that had brought Connors back to the world. He knew that meant Johnson was very angry. He also knew that was never a good thing. Just as Connors forced his eyes open, he saw the big man choking the civilian. Rolling to his knees, he moved closer as quietly as he could. Then he saw that Johnson had the man's button undone on his jeans and was fussing with the zipper. Rage turned his own vision red as he searched his immediate area for something to use. Then he swung with everything he had at Johnson's head.

It took every ounce of self control Connors possessed to keep from killing the man. Angrily, he caught hold of the man's nearest shoulder and threw him off the civilian. He was all ready serving a life sentence for murder. He just couldn't bring himself to soak his hands in more blood. So he stood over top of the big man, the piece of wood he'd found along the way clutched tightly in his hands as he tried to catch his breath.

"What the hell is going on?" the older of the brothers asked. Beside him his younger brother sat up and looked around the dimly lit cabin. None of this was really making a lot of sense.

"Shut up," Connors growled. Fishing in his pocket, he came up with the key for the cuffs. It took him a moment or two to find the key hole. Then he undid the cuff holding the civilian's wrist. Glancing around, Connors came to Anderson, still sleeping deeply in his corner. That corner also had what was left of an old wood burning stove. There was just enough of it left that Connors pulled Johnson over to it, fed the cuff around its leg and cinched it closed.

It wouldn't hold Johnson for ever when he was mad. It would give them a bit of time though. Time to get the civilian away and, hopefully, safe.

"Are you going to help me or get in the way?" Connors asked as he looked at the brothers. While he waited for their decision, Connors moved over to the still unconscious civilian. Carefully he examined the man's neck under what little light the moon provided. All ready Roy's neck was starting to swell where Johnson's hands had gripped him. Listening carefully, Connors made sure that he was breathing well despite it. The last thing the man needed at this point was to start to choke because his throat swelled shut.

Absently, Connor pulled the man's clothes closed and did up his jeans. That was not something he wanted to see.

Just then, Anderson stirred and then sat up. "What's going on?" he asked as he took in Connors hovering over the civilian and Johnson lying beside the wood stove. His alarms were going off.

"None of your business, Anderson. You have two options here. Come with us and help with the good Samaritan or get lost and find your own way. Johnson is staying here for as long as I can keep him," Connors informed him. Personally he didn't want Anderson to stay with them. The man gave him the creeps, just like Johnson. But, as the saying went, keep your enemies close.

Anderson looked around at his companions while several thoughts sped through his mind. He knew that the other three inmates didn't trust him. That was okay. He didn't trust them either. He would have much preferred to be with the good Samaritan with Johnson than without him. They both had the same preferences. But he didn't much want to be here when Johnson woke up either.

"Let's get going before Johnson comes to," Anderson stated as he stood up and moved over to the unconscious man. Johnson had really done a number on him. He was going to be in a world of hurt when he came around again. A small smile played across Anderson's lips. Just the way he liked them.

"Fine. What about you two?" Connors asked as he carefully pulled the man until a sitting position. He was going to be a dead weight for a while. A small part of his mind groused that he should just leave him here, that he was going to be a lot of trouble. But he ignored the little voice in the back of his mind. There was no way he was going to leave the man to the elements and Johnson's tender administrations.

"Yeah, we're in," the older brother said. He ran a hand through his close cropped dark blond hair and then moved over to help Connors. Close behind him, his taller, younger brother followed. Between the four of them, they lifted the man up and left the cabin.


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you very much Elf! For your continued reviews. I love hearing from you. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well! Thank you also to all of you who are reading this. I know you're out there, I can see the numbers increasing. I'd love to know what you think!!_

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

By the time dawn was colouring the eastern sky the four men had travelled nearly five miles. They were much deeper into the hills. Connors was hoping that they could find a nice quiet place to spend the day. He'd all ready decided that they were better off moving at night. During the day they were a little too obvious, especially carrying the semiconscious civilian.

"How much farther do we have to go?" Anderson whined. He'd been responsible for carrying the dead weight civilian for the last fifteen minutes. He figured that was all ready long enough. The man was heavy despite his build. If he thought Connor wouldn't beat the crap out of him, he would have dumped the man into the thick undergrowth and left him there.

"Do I look like I have a map?" Connors growled. Anderson was really getting on his nerves. In the short time he'd been carrying the civilian he'd been complaining every step of the way. If his own back wasn't all ready tired from carrying the man the last three miles, he'd have taken him back. "We'll know when we get there, all right?"

"Can we rest for a few minutes?" Anderson asked. He could see the frustration level rising in Connors' posture. He knew better than to push it any further. Across his back, Anderson could feel the man beginning to stir. While he enjoyed the sensation, it made him significantly harder to hold onto him.

"Fine," Connors grumbled. Anything to shut the guy up. Looking around, he spied a small clearing off to their right. Grumbling under his breath, he set out for it.

By the time they reached the clearing, Roy had come around. It took him a few moments to figure out why he was staring at a sweaty back. Pain sliced through him with each step but at least he hadn't been raped. Everything after that was a bonus. Swallowing painfully passed his swollen throat Roy attempted to prevent the moan that tried to get out when Anderson tossed him on the ground.

"Damn it, Anderson," Connors hissed. Concerned for the civilian, he moved over to his side and helped him sit up. "Are you okay?"

"Where are we?" Roy managed around his throat. It was hard to swallow and talking wasn't a lot of fun either. Memories of what had happened kept playing through his mind, obscuring what was going on around him. Still, he was aware that they weren't in the cabin anymore and that Johnson didn't appear to be around.

"Lost?" the elder brother offered helpfully. They had each taken a turn carrying the man. They had no idea what Connors' plan was but they trusted him to do the right thing. After watching the man in prison, they knew he had a plan of some kind.

"What?" Roy grunted. He shook his head to try to get the images out of it. It had happened, it was over. He had more important problems at the moment. Gingerly, he ran his fingers over his side. Pain erupted, taking his breath away. Yeah, he had a few cracked, possibly broken ribs. Damn. He could tell by his slightly blurry vision and a pounding headache that he probably had at least a mild concussion. Double damn.

"Can you walk?" Connors asked as he crouched down beside the civilian. He was pale and sweaty. Pain flashed over his features with too much regularity. Johnson had done a rather thorough job on the man. Well, maybe not as thorough as Johnson would have liked.

"Where are we going?" Roy asked rather stupidly. He was having trouble concentrating on the here and now. His injuries were conspiring against him, completely shattering his ability to track things for more than a few seconds.

"I know where there's a cabin nearby," Connors told him. The man's blue eyes were blurry and pain filled. Suddenly the cabin wasn't close enough. "There should be supplies and fresh water there."

"Water would be good. I'm very thirsty," Roy said. He allowed the inmate to pull him to his feet and barely managed to keep upright for a few seconds. Then Roy began to sag.

"Here, let me help you," Connors said as he gingerly slipped Roy's left arm over his shoulder. He was careful to not grab the man's injured hand. A second later, the younger brother was on Roy's other side. Roy hissed in pain as the brother inadvertently brushed against his cracked ribs.

"Sorry," the younger brother said instantly chagrined. He had been trying to help, not hurt.

"S' ok," Roy slurred. Consciousness kept threatening to leave him. That wasn't how Roy wanted to be, completely at these men's mercy. Desperately he fought against the darkness even as the men on either side of him took a step forward, jarring his side. He decided to try to distract himself. "What's your name?"

"Jared," the young man on his right side replied. Roy could have sworn he saw a shy smile spread across the handsome man's face. Jared was taller than him by nearly six inches but he could still barely see the boy's eyes behind his long brown bangs. Roy got the feeling that was intentional.

"I'm Roy. When are we getting out of here?"

"Your guess is as good as mine at the moment," Jared responded, that smile ghosting across his lips. At this moment he was just along for the ride, much like the civilian. He just hoped they found someplace safe for the time being. He also hoped they found food and water like Connors had promised. He was desperately hungry and thirsty. He imagined they all were at this point. Sighing, he felt the civilian go slack in his grasp. Well, this was easier than carrying him.

OOOOO

The search wasn't going well. After leaving the jewellery store they'd split up. Now that the firemen and policeman knew where Roy wound up they had a better idea of what direction to head in. Vince had decided that they should rendezvous at a small park approximately half way to the wreck.

Frustrated beyond words, wanting desperately to speed off to the bus accident, Johnny ground his teeth to keep from screaming. Beside him Hank was busy scanning the blocks as they passed them. The captain was hoping against hope that he'd see the familiar countenance of his blond paramedic.

Finally they reached the park. Quickly, Johnny pulled up beside Vince's black and white squad car in the parking lot. Climbing out of his Land Rover, Johnny was instantly struck by the grim expression on the police officer's face.

"What's up, Vince?" Hank asked as he too exited the vehicle. Something was up. From the look on the black officer's face it wasn't good.

"The inmates that were caught in Roy's car have finally started talking. It's not good," Vince replied. He had a really hard time looking Johnny in the face. Bile rose in his throat at the thought of what he'd been told over the radio just a few short minutes ago.

"What do you mean 'not good'?" Johnny demanded. He was rooted to the spot in fear. Instinctively he knew something very bad had happened to his partner. How was he going to explain this to Joanne?

"Apparently one of the inmates cuffed himself to Roy after he rescued them. The man's name is Johnson and he's well known in the prison for his level of violence and his complete lack of respect for anyone or anything else. If Roy's still attached to this creep he is in big trouble," Vince said, the words tumbling out of his mouth in his haste to get them out. Maybe the news was like a Band-Aid. If he said it fast enough it wouldn't hurt as much.

"What?" Johnny breathed. Visions played through his mind. Terrible, heart wrenching images. Unable to prevent it, the younger paramedic abruptly bent over and vomited. What was Roy into?


	8. Chapter 8

_Hi everyone! Thank you very much for the reviews. It's really hard to write in a vacuum. Now I know I'm at least in the right track. Now if only I knew where it was going!!!_

_Anyway, E!lf, I couldn't get your email address to work. I'd love to hear your views on how I could improve. My email address is (without the spaces of course) s u s a n n e . r i c h a r d y a h o o . c a._

_Thanks again for the reviews! I really do appreciate them._

_Susanne_

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Well, it wasn't Connors' cabin that they wound up finding. But it would have to do. The four men were exhausted from helping the civilian walk. Roy wasn't having much fun either. He had trouble staying conscious. All it would take was an unforeseen jolt to his side and he'd lose the battle as pain overwhelmed his senses.

Crouched in the underbrush on the edge of the cabin's property line, the ex-convicts waited to see any signs of life. The lawn around the cabin was well manicured but there were no obvious vehicles parked in the driveway.

"I'll go ahead and make sure no one's home. If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, get the hell out," Connors instructed the brothers. He was entrusting the civilian to their care. There wasn't a hope in hell he was going to leave Anderson in charge of him. Glancing back at the blond man lying unconscious on the forest floor a few feet away, Connors took a deep breath and headed out.

Connors' skin crawled as he moved out in the open. He could almost hear the helicopters and air planes bearing down on him as he made his way over low wooden fences toward the garage. He wanted to make sure that a car wasn't tucked safely away in the building's confines. That would tell him quickly enough if the house was likely to be occupied.

Carefully, the ex-convict stepped over flower beds and rubbish piles until he reached the back windows on the garage's nearest wall. Shielding his eyes from the sun, Connors leaned in until he could see beyond the glare of the sun on the glass panes. Heaving a deep breath, Connors was relieved to see that the interior of the building was empty.

He paused long enough to take a look around before he continued on. So far so good.

OOOOO

The brothers were distracted, watching Connors and making sure no one was coming up behind them. The civilian was still unconscious, not that Andrews knew anything about that. Somehow, Anderson always managed to have his hand over Roy's bad side whenever he was helping him. He was subtle so as to not alarm the person helping the civilian on the other side. All it took as a gentle tap and the man went limp.

At the moment, Anderson was sitting a few feet away from Roy. He kept a close eye on the brothers. He didn't want them to interfere with his fun. Anderson thought he had them fooled and had begun to inch toward the unconscious man. Just as he was about to reach him, David, the older brother, turned around and glared at him. "Touch him and I'll break every bone in your hand," he growled.

There was something in the elder brother's eyes that stopped Anderson dead. He had had little exposure to the brothers while they were in prison. They had run in different crowds and the brothers tended to stay together, excluding all others. Now Anderson knew why everyone else had left the brothers alone. There was a hard edge of violence just beneath the placid surface.

"I wasn't going to do anything," Anderson responded feigning wounded pride.

"Like hell," David growled. He turned his attention back to the cabin's yard but Connors had disappeared.

OOOOO

Now that more was known about the inmates that allegedly had Roy, more squad cars and police officers had been freed up to help with the search. They'd even come up with canine units to help. These were the most likely leads as far as Johnny was concerned.

His vehicle parked along the winding road the bus had careened off of, Johnny leaned against its front bumper. Around him pandemonium reigned. He knew the police were doing their best but there was really no way to track these guys once they hit the freeway. Scared, Johnny glanced over at his captain. Hank was in a deep discussion with one of the members of Battalion and one of the police captains.

Anxiously, Johnny tapped out a rapid beat with his right thumb on his left bicep. He had his arms crossed over his chest, trying to keep from screaming or beating the crap out of someone. It was taking every ounce of self control that he possessed to keep from setting out on his own. The longer he stood here with nothing to do, the harder it was to ignore the urge.

To Johnny's right the squad cars with the dogs had just pulled up. The handlers jumped out of their vehicles and moved quickly to release the barking creatures in the back. Ignoring everything else, Johnny headed over. He had every intention of following the dogs. If anyone could make sense of this chaos, it was them.

OOOOO

Half an hour after entering the house, Connors had returned and helped the others to move Roy inside. Connors had found a first aid kit during his investigation and had set it up beside the civilian where he lay on the bed in the main bedroom.

In the kitchen he could hear the brothers and Anderson raiding the cupboards and drinking so much water from the tap that they virtually sloshed when they moved. Pots and pans clanged through the door as they set about making food.

"Where are we?" Roy asked. His voice was barely audible. Now that he was awake again, the senior paramedic realized he was extremely thirsty but first he had to make sure that there wasn't anyone else likely to be in trouble here.

"A cabin," Connors replied tersely. He got Roy up into a sitting position and proceeded to wrap the man's torso with tape. He had to try to secure the man's ribs as best he could. Roy hissed in pain as the tape passed over and pressed against his injured side. He had to blink rapidly to keep from passing out.

"Is it empty?" Roy asked between clenched teeth. He understood why the man was doing what he was doing, it just hurt like hell and he wished that he hadn't had to live through it.

"The cabin? Yeah, I found a note left for the housekeeper or groundskeeper saying they're gone for two weeks. We have over a week before they come back," Connors tried to reassure him. The man had broken out in a cold sweat in reaction to his ministrations. He couldn't say he blamed him but it made getting the tape to stick that much harder. "Are you hungry?"

"Thirsty," Roy managed. He was losing the battle to remain conscious. His vision was slowly fading on him.

"Right, sorry," Connors said, inwardly kicking himself. Of course the man was thirsty. The first thing he'd done upon finding the place empty was to down two glasses of water. Securing the last of the tape, he got the civilian lying back down and headed into the kitchen.

Jared, the younger brother, was having a little too much fun cooking. Somehow that didn't shock Connors as he slid by. Filling a glass with water from the tap, he headed back into the bedroom. It felt pretty damned good to be in a home again, even if it wasn't his own. It sure as well beat prison.

Connors held Roy's head up and put the glass to his lips. Greedily, the paramedic swallowed every drop of water. Then his eyes fluttered shut and he was instantly asleep. Satisfied that there was nothing else he could do for the civilian at the moment, Connors went to the kitchen and watched with a bemused expression while Jared basically trashed the place making the fanciest meal Connors had seen in a while. Life was as good as it was going to get at the moment. Connors decided to enjoy it while it lasted.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

The day slowly turned to night. Connors was kept busy trying to keep the brothers and Anderson from beating the crap out of each other. The men really didn't have much in common except for a mutual loathing. Roy spent most of the time sleeping.

It wasn't until nearly supper time that Connors remembered the injuries to the paramedic's hands and knees from falling so much the previous day. He searched the cabin until he came up with hydrogen peroxide, cotton balls, bandages and tape. Entering the master bedroom, Connors wasn't surprised to find Anderson hovering over the man.

"Get the hell out of here," Connors growled. He really didn't like the man much. He was a little too much like Johnson for his tastes.

"Who made you God?" Anderson spit out. He really wanted to spend some time alone with this civilian. There was something about him that brought the worst out of the criminal.

"I did," Connors replied. He took a step towards the shorter man, murder in his eyes. Suddenly Anderson decided the civilian wasn't worth getting a beating over. He'd have his time with him, just not yet.

"Fine, knock yourself out," Anderson said. Holding his hands up in a placating gesture, Anderson left the room.

Heaving a sigh, Connors placed the items he'd collected on a chair beside the bed. The paramedic was lying on his back, completely oblivious to the world. Connors supposed he'd be pretty much the same if he'd gone through what the man had in the last twenty four hours.

Carefully, Connors pulled the man's hands up from underneath the blankets. They had long since stopped bleeding but in the light of a lamp beside the bed he could see the ground in dirt and gravel. Johnson had had a little too much fun with the man. Connors soaked a cotton ball with peroxide and bent to work. This was going to take a while.

It took a few minutes for the effects of the cleaning agent to register on Roy's exhaustion fogged mind. The paramedic managed to push the pain to the back of his mind until he felt someone pulling at the blankets. Flashbacks from his fight with Johnson erupted in front of Roy's eyes. His reflective response was to hit out at the dark shadow hovering over him. He was barely even aware that his hands were wrapped in bandages. All that mattered was getting away from the person trying to uncover him.

"Hey, hey, it's me," Connors said, trying to calm the civilian down. All he'd been trying to do was get at the man's knees. He had hoped the man would stay unconscious. No such luck.

"Where's Johnny?" Roy muttered as he rapidly blinked his eyes. For some reason they weren't focusing quite as well as they usually did. The flashbacks were tapering off, allowing the paramedic to better assess his present situation.

"Who's Johnny? Johnny Carson? At home I'd imagine," Connors said. He was rambling now but his continued prattle seemed to be calming the man down. "I'm going to clean your knees. Your hands were pretty messed up from yesterday and I want to make sure your knees are cleaned up as well."

"Where are the others?" Roy asked. He didn't feel up to filling the inmate in about his partner or even what he did for a living. The less these men knew about him the better.

"Around. I think Jared is making supper. That boy can really cook! David is trying to help and Anderson can go jump in a deep lake for all I care," Connors stated. He'd finally gotten the blankets down and was examining the man's knees. They were in as good of shape as his hands had been. Johnson had really been having too much fun.

As quickly and carefully as he could manage, Connors cleaned Roy's knees and wrapped them up in bandages. Then he turned his attention to the man's wrist. He should have dealt with that at the same time as his hands but such is life.

"I'm thirsty," Roy stated. He was in better shape than he had been but he could tell he was still dehydrated.

"And hungry I'll bet," Connors said. "I'll finish here and then I'll go get you more water. I think Jared should have supper ready in a few minutes. I'll bring some in when it's ready."

"Thank you," Roy said. He was finding it hard to keep his eyes open. The only thing keeping him awake at all was worry for his wife and kids. They must be frantic by now. Roy was sure that Johnny had told Joanne about the necklace. He'd been missing too long not to.

OOOOO

Once they got beyond the initial scene, the dogs picked up on the scent quickly. Johnny felt hope begin to burn in his chest as they ran to keep up with the dogs. The police officers didn't pay much attention to the junior paramedic but he didn't care. At last they were finally doing something. He was barely even aware of Mike Stoker pounding up behind him. The engineer had no intentions of being left behind.

It was hard work keeping up with the dogs as they bound after the scents they'd found. At the top of the embankment there was a momentary lull as they sorted through all of them and found the one they wanted. Then the small group was off again.

OOOOO

"They couldn't have travelled this far could they?" Mike Stoker asked. After nearly two hours of running, the police officers and firemen had been forced to take a break. The humans and the dogs were hot, tired and thirsty.

Mike and Johnny were seated on a fallen tree passing a canteen back and forth. They were deep in the forest up toward the hills. Mike was wondering if the dogs had lost the scent and were just enjoying the run at this point.

"They were highly motivated to not get caught. I imagine they would have travelled as far as possible," Johnny said. While they'd covered a fair amount of ground, the junior paramedic was chomping at the bit to keep going. Roy was out here somewhere with a group of inmates. He needed to find him as soon as possible.

Luckily for them the policemen had brought rations and canteens with them. Johnny had been so distracted that the only thing he'd remembered to bring was a well stocked first aid kit. After a quick bite they were off again.

OOOOO

It was later in the day that the search team came across a dilapidated cabin. The policemen entered first, their guns drawn. It wasn't until they were satisfied that they allowed Mike and Johnny to come inside.

Looking around, Johnny had the terrible feeling that Roy had spent the night here. The roof was partially gone, which would have left them exposed to the elements. There were signs that someone or something had been inside the cabin recently. It was the pair of steel handcuffs lying discarded on the ground by the broken wood stove that confirmed the inmates' presence.

"Damn it, Roy. Where are you?" Johnny breathed as he stepped out of the cabin. He was beginning to lose hope that they were going to find his partner in one piece. He clung to the fact that the hand cuffs had been left behind. That seemed to indicate that Roy was at least free. It could also mean that the senior paramedic was so badly injured that the convicts didn't have to worry about him getting away.

Swallowing bile, Johnny paced around the cabin, waiting for the officers to conclude their search. Johnny all ready knew everything he'd needed to know. Roy was not here.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN**

Darkness had fallen. Connors had vetoed turning on any lights. It was bad enough that they had lit the fire place. There wasn't supposed to be anyone in the cabin. Turning lights on would have been too obvious. Connors wasn't sure how close the next inhabited building was but he wasn't about to take a chance on being discovered. After devouring the meal Jared made with the canned supplies, the inmates amused themselves by cleaning up the disaster in the kitchen.

Not trusting Anderson, Connors left them to the mayhem and headed into Roy's room. In his hand he held a tall glass of water and a bowl full of the meal Jared had made. Juggling the two, he managed to get the door open and stepped inside.

Roy was still sleeping, or at least he seemed to be. Setting the food and water on the night table, Connors bent toward the man. He looked so serene he almost hated to wake him.

As soon as he got close however, the man's blue eyes flew open and he was peering at him. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you got something to eat and drink," Connors said, indicating the dishes. "I'll be back to get those later."

Not giving the man the chance to respond, Connors left the room. When he entered the kitchen it was spotless. He had a hard time believing that the three men had done this. The three of them were standing, leaning against the counter top.

"What's up?" Connors asked. There was a definite air of expectation floating around the room.

"It's dark. I think it's time for us to head out. The cops will be searching as hard as they can," David stated.

"You're right," Connors said. He knew this decision was coming up. He'd just been trying to postpone it as long as possible. He'd wrestled with his options and was no closer to a decision.

"I don't think the fish should be left here alone," Anderson said. He was trying to come across as innocent as possible. "I'll stay with him."

"That's not going to happen," Connors growled.

"Nah, you're coming with us," Jared said. He and David had discussed it earlier. There was no way they were going to let Anderson go on his own. They didn't want to have his actions on their conscious. If that meant sticking to him like glue they were going to do it.

"How about you, Connors, are you coming or staying?" David asked. While he talked, the older brother began packing tins of food into a back pack he'd found in one of the rooms. If he was going to be on the run, he wanted to make sure he and Jared weren't going to starve along the way.

"He'll be safe here until the cops find him," Jared suggested. He didn't much want to have to carry the man any further than he all ready had. Besides, the civilian honestly was safer where he was, not out in the woods with them.

"He helped get us out of that bus. A lot of people would have left us there to fall over the cliff or burn. I'm not going to leave him here alone to fend for himself. I guess that means I'm staying," Connors stated, his decision suddenly made.

"All right then," David said. He had as much of the food as he could fit in the back pack. Lastly, he stashed a can opener in its canvas confines. It was no use taking the food if they couldn't get into it. "After you."

David waited until Anderson took the lead. He didn't trust the man to be behind him or his brother. Then the brothers headed off after him. Standing at the dark doorway, Connors watched as the trio disappeared into the night.

The first thing you lose in prison is your sense of being alone. You are never alone, not really. There are always other men around, other inmates, as well as the guards watching everything you do. Connors revelled in the sensation that no one was watching him. No one had a hold of him at this very moment. Whistling softly to himself, Connors shut the door and locked it before going back into the bedroom to check on his charge.

OOOOO

"Damn it," Johnny swore. He was getting anxious to continue on. Roy had been here, the handcuff proved that. He knew why the police officers had decided to spend the night. In the dark they were likely to miss a clue or turn an ankle in an unseen hole. But the thought of his partner being out in the woods, unprotected, with the inmates was almost more than he could stand.

"Easy, Johnny. I know it's hard but we have to try to get as much sleep as we can. We'll be up with the dawn searching again," Mike tried to sooth the pacing paramedic.

The police officers had had supplies dropped to them from a helicopter so the searchers each had a sleeping bag, a full canteen of clean water and enough rations to stuff a horse. Johnny had barely touched his. His nervous energy had kept him from sitting down that long. The policemen had made a small fire just outside the old cabin but Johnny found little comfort in its warmth.

"I'll knock you out if I have to," Mike warned. He understood the dark haired paramedic's anxiety. He felt it too but wearing himself ragged wasn't going to help anyone. Beside him, two of the search dogs were snoring softly in their sleep. Mike wished he could join them.

"Very funny, Mike," Johnny replied. He'd all ready made a small rut in the earth. He knew he was being irrational. It was something he excelled at without Roy around to bring him down.

"I wasn't kidding, Johnny. We need to get some rest tonight so we can be ready for the morning. Lay down or I'll find something to knock you out with," Mike stated. He was bluffing but he didn't want Johnny to know it.

Grumbling under his breath, Johnny picked up his sleeping bag, shook it out of its bag and proceeded to wrap it around his shoulders. Still grumbling, he sank down to the ground beside the engineer. This was the last thing he felt like doing.

Now that Johnny had stopped moving, sleep crept up on him within minutes. Shaking his head, Mike made Johnny lay down on the rut he'd made. Otherwise he was going to wake up with a kink in his neck from sleeping sitting up. Satisfied that the paramedic was as comfortable as he could make him Mike settled in a short distance away. With any luck the search tomorrow would be short but Mike wasn't holding his breath.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Connors checked on Roy one last time before retiring to the living room. The Good Samaritan was sound asleep. The light on the night table was still on. He used it to do a cursory exam. Roy was lying quietly under the blankets. He was pale and clearly not particularly comfortable but it was all Connors could do for him at the moment. Reaching over, Connors turned the light off.

Leaving the bedroom, Connors padded down the hallway toward the living room. A low fire burned in the fireplace. It was the one concession Connors had allowed. After freezing the night before, he didn't plan on repeating the suffering if he could help it. With a deep sigh, he plunked down on the nearest piece of furniture. He was suddenly aware of just how tired he really was. Pulling a blanket off the back to the couch, he settled down on the overstuffed piece of furniture. It was the nicest bed he was likely to get any time soon.

Hours passed quietly. Once he was convinced that the residents of the house were asleep, Roy tried to get out of bed. It was the first chance he'd had to get away. Unfortunately, his body wasn't being particularly cooperative. His ribs screamed in agony, taking his breath away as he tried to sit up under the blankets. Darkness swirled around his head bringing bile to Roy's throat.

A groan issued from Roy's lips as he rapidly swallowed. Roy knew his ribs weren't going to take any more throwing up. Besides, that would kind of ruin his chances of escaping. The room was dark except for a slice of moonlight across the plush carpet. The house was silent. Roy wasn't sure where the convicts were but he had no intentions of finding out. Finally, he sat up, pulled the cover back and then tossed his feet over the side of the bed.

Ignoring the pains slicing through his knees and hands, Roy managed to get to his feet and stagger over to the window. His ribs screamed with each step. Roy's world pitched like a boat on a rough sea. He hated every second of it but he wasn't giving up. Bracing his body against the wall, Roy caught hold of the nearest window and tried to push it up. It took a moment for him to notice the smear of blood the appeared on the window pane. Roy's wrist had started bleeding again.

Gritting his teeth, Roy dragged himself around until he was facing the window. His ribs were in such agony that he barely kept from blacking out again. Sweat broke out on his forehead and his hands. Gingerly, he wiped his hands on his pants before reaching for the window again. If he could get it open, maybe he could get away before anyone noticed. Holding his breath, Roy pushed on the window with all his might. The pain blossomed in his side, his vision turned red and then black as the senior paramedic slipped soundlessly to the floor. He was unconscious before he made it all the way down.

OOOOO

Johnny was having a bad dream. He couldn't move, couldn't help at all as he watched a large, unknown man standing over Roy. His partner was lying crumpled on the ground either unconscious or severely stunned because he didn't appear to be doing anything to protect himself. The big man wrapped in shadow bent down and grabbed Roy by the neck, pulling the smaller man up until his feet dangled inches from the ground. Roy seemed to finally come around and fought against the hands, trying to break free and draw breath at the same time. As Johnny watched, Roy's face turned red and then blue. The life drained from Roy's blue eyes and he sagged in the big man's grip.

Johnny awoke in a cold sweat, a scream dying on his lips. Gulping air, Johnny wiped sweat out of his eyes and looked around. The sky above was dark, no stars evident. The only light came from the fire that had burned down to glowing embers. Johnny found a momentary comfort in the swaying trees above him. Then the dream came back. Sitting up, Johnny pushed his blanket down and wiped his hands over his face again.

The police men seemed to be sleeping soundly except for the two men who'd been chosen for guard duty. They weren't stupid enough to sleep like babies when escaped convicts were running around the forest. Beside him, Johnny found Mike lying on the ground, his eyes wide open and watching him. Johnny had the feeling none of them were actually asleep anymore, his thrashing around in his blankets had put an end to that. Unseen colour rose in his cheeks as Johnny's embarrassment rose.

"Bad dream," Johnny muttered. He was very thankful for the darkness. Mike would never let him live down the blush that continued to spread across his face. Rummaging around in his bag, he pulled out his canteen and took a healthy swig. Replacing him, he put the canteen back. Carefully, he rolled onto his side, his back toward his shift mate. Somehow Johnny didn't think he was going to get any more sleep. As lightning streaked across the sky, the young paramedic had his suspicions confirmed.

"Well, so much for that," the officer in charge grumbled. They were better off moving after all. It sure beat getting soaked sitting hunched on the ground. "Everyone gear up. We're heading out in ten minutes."

Johnny glanced at his watch as he climbed out from under his blanket. It was barely midnight. Quickly, the two firemen slipped their blankets back into their backpacks. Sleep was the furthest thing from their minds.

OOOOO

Around four o'clock in the morning Connors was awakened by a loud crash. Instantly aware, he threw the blanket off and swung his feet over the side of the couch. The dark confines of the living room were familiar as he gazed around. Nothing seemed to be amiss. It was then he realized that the sound had been thunder. The world outside the front window was illuminated for a brief moment as lightning flashed across the sky. The glass was slick with water that splashed down its smooth surface. A storm had come up while he'd been asleep and was in full swing.

Chuckling at his reaction, Connors decided to do a check of the house while he was awake. Walking from room to room, he made sure that the doors and windows were closed and locked. Quietly, he came up to the door leading to Roy's room. Not wanting to disturb the man, Connors stuck his ear against the door and tried to listen. The thunder rumbling through the sky made it impossible though. Giving in, Connors pushed the door open.

As he stepped through the threshold, Connors became aware of two things. Lightning danced through the sky in time to show him Roy crumpled on the floor under the window. It also showed him that the same window had been smashed. Standing over Roy, his body wet and heaving, was Johnson. The bastard had found them.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

"What are you doing here?" Connors asked. He knew it was a stupid question but it was the only thing that came out. Johnson reached down and plucked Roy off the floor. Carelessly, he tossed the injured man onto the bed. It was where he wanted him anyway.

"Surprised to see me? I bet you were hoping I was still chained to that damned stove, huh? Well, you're not the only one with talents, Connors," Johnson growled. As he talked, he straightened the civilian's limbs.

"Just leave him alone, okay, Johnson? You should be trying to get as far from here as possible like the other three," Connors said. He wished he'd had the sense to keep a weapon with him. He knew what Johnson was planning on doing and he had no intentions of letting it happen. As he talked, Connors glanced around the room in the false daylight caused by multiple lightning strikes, hoping to find something, anything he could use.

"I've been waiting for this for too long to just forget about it," Johnson rumbled. He reached down and began fumbling with the man's shirt. This was going to be so much better than in that drafty, dirty old shack.

"I can't let you do that, Johnson. You know that," Connors said. He inched toward the bedside lamp. Under Johnson's rough fingers Roy began to come around again. He shifted and moaned as his body registered the pains and aches that still resided inside it.

"You're too little to stop me," Johnson said dismissively, a wicked grin spreading across his face. He'd finished opening the man's shirt. With absolutely no concern, he pulled the tape off of the man's chest. Roy hissed in pain as the tape tore at his skin and his ribs even while being not quite with it. Then Johnson turned his attention to his victim's pants.

"That's what you think," Connors muttered. He grabbed the lamp and sent it crashing into Johnson's head. Glass shattered as it made contact with his skull. But it barely fazed him as the big man roared. Knowing he didn't have anything else to use, Connors threw himself bodily at the man. The two of them went tumbling on the floor on the other side of the bed.

Johnson had the benefit of height and weight. Connors had the benefit of desperation. The two men grappled on the floor, trying to knock each other senseless.

Roy came around fully just in time to have Johnson randomly throw his arm up. The flailing limb came crashing down on his injured side. Roy couldn't suppress the scream that erupted as his entire side went up in a blaze of pain. Gasping, trying to recover, Roy tried to drag his too heavy body across the bed in an attempt to reach the door.

"This is none of your business, Connors," Johnson shouted. He was really getting tired of the other man's interference. Raising his fist, Johnson sent it arcing down toward the other man's head. Connors had enough presence of mind to shift and get his head out of the way at the last moment. Johnson bellowed in pain and frustration as his fist made contact with the unyielding floor.

Ignoring his side and everything else that hurt, Roy pulled his body up into a standing position and took the three steps to the door. He hated leaving the other man to defend himself but he also knew he wasn't going to be of any help in his current state. Opening the door, Roy stumbled out into the dark hallway beyond.

The light from the storm didn't reach within the walls of the hallway. It was completely dark. Roy was reduced to running his hands along the walls. He had no idea where he was going but the grunts and crashes from the bedroom spurred him on. Roy wasn't sure how long Connors was going to be able to hold out against the larger, stronger man. He had no intention of letting the man's sacrifice be in vein. The mere fact that he was retreating went against everything Roy believed.

Just as Roy reached the end of the hall and the living room beyond, the front door crashed open. Amid flickering flashlights and shouted warnings, Roy became aware that there were police officers behind the blinding lights. Roy stumbled, barking his all ready sore knee against a side table. The light had blinded him to his surroundings. Unable to stop his forward momentum, Roy slammed to the ground. The impact stunned him, making the world move in slow motion and sound like it was underwater.

Roy saw the policemen burst into the cabin, their flashlights coming to fall on him. Then the lights shifted away to somewhere above him. There were shouted words that he couldn't quite hear. The police officers strode forward, their guns drawn and aimed. The images that were reaching his addled brain were becoming more and more confusing. Roy wasn't sure if the policemen were covering him or aiming at him.

The storm continued unabated outside the open door sending crazy shadows across the floor. Roy tried to get up on all fours but his body failed him. All he managed to do was roll over onto his back so that he had a better view of what was transpiring around him.

The policemen had their guns aimed squarely at Johnson. The bear of a man had come barrelling down the hallway, intent on his prize. He stopped on a dime upon seeing the flashlights and police uniforms. It took him a total of three seconds to make his decision. Better to die than go back to jail. Roaring like a mad animal, the huge man rushed toward the clustered police. Several guns went off simultaneously, slamming the man in the chest. The strength of the impacts stopped him dead in his tracks. Vaguely stunned, the big man took a step or two backwards. He placed a hand over the blood stain that was spreading across his shirt in several places. Then he slowly crumpled to the ground.

"Roy?" Looking around sluggishly, the senior paramedic could have sworn he heard his name being called. He knew he was reacting to everything that had happened and especially to the head injury he'd sustained. As a paramedic, Roy knew the effects and recognized the symptoms but that did little to help him process what was going on. Then Johnny was hovering over him in the flickering lights.

"Johnny?" Roy said, his voice barely heard in the cacophony of sounds of the storm and the police men searching the house. Blinking his blue eyes a few times, Roy tried to determine if it really was his partner or it he was imagining the whole situation in a fever dream. Cool fingers brushed across Roy's forehead. Even in his confusion Roy could feel the tenderness and caring in the touch.

"Yeah, Roy, we finally found you," Johnny said. He was appalled by what he was finding by the light of his flashlight. Beside him, Mike was kneeling as well, adding his light to help Johnny do a more thorough exam. The engineer tried to not show the rage and revulsion he was feeling. For the first time in his life, Mike Stoker was glad to know that someone was dead.

"Where's Connors?" Roy asked as he struggled to sit up. His ribs and Johnny's hands brought him up short, forcing him to lie back down on the carpet.

One of the policemen had found the light switch and tried it only to find that the power was out in the cabin. That determined, another officer began to pile firewood in the fireplace. They weren't going anywhere until this storm passed.

"Who's Connors, Roy?" Johnny asked. He'd pulled out his first aid kid and was working on cleaning up Roy's multiple wounds. He'd seen his friend's reaction to trying to sit up. In the increased light from the now roaring fire he could see a dark area on Roy's right side. He was going to deal with that once he had the bleeding stopped on Roy's other injuries.

"The other inmate. He was in the bedroom, trying to keep Johnson away from me," Roy said. Now that he was finally safe, the senior paramedic had begun to tremble. The trembling quickly turned to all out shaking. Johnny wished he could do more for his friend but there was only so much to be done.

"Yeah, we found him," the officer in charge said. Two of his men dragged the unconscious man into the living room and placed him on the floor. "Looks like he took quite a beating too."

"He was trying to protect me, Johnny," Roy said, his voice trembling with the shaking of his body. As Johnny watched, tears gathered in the corners of Roy's eyes. Flashes of memories of what had happened in the last day and a half were flashing through his mind. Thoughts of what could have happened weren't far behind. Roy's shaking got worse.

"Is he going to be okay?" Mike asked with concern. In all the years he'd worked with the senior paramedic, he'd never seen him in this state. It was very unnerving. Mike was beginning to question Roy's state of mind. Not that he really blamed him.

"Yeah," Johnny replied. He forced himself to ignore his friend's emotional stress long enough to finish his examination. He knew that the damage was superficial for the most part and he'd cleaned it up as well as he could. The internal damage, the ribs and the head injury, were things he couldn't do anything about. Now that he knew his partner and friend wasn't going to die from his injuries, Johnny gently wrapped his blanket and the discarded one from the couch around Roy. The shaking didn't stop.

Roy had his eyes closed, trying to block out the sounds around him. He didn't seem to be able to deal with the police men's presence as well as that of Johnson's body and Connors lying just a few feet away.

"Do you want to check this guy or do you want us to do it?" one of the officers asked. They'd all been trained in basic first aid in case they were the first ones on an accident scene. Johnny held an internal debate for a few moments. The last thing he felt like doing was leaving Roy now that he'd found him. But, the other man deserved the best care Johnny could muster for him. Sighing, Johnny got to his feet and headed over.

Johnny paused before he'd taken two steps. He turned to Mike who was still kneeling beside Roy. "Stay with him. We don't need him going into shock," Johnny instructed.

"Sure thing," Mike responded. He had no intention of leaving Roy's side. Johnny was the paramedic. He could deal with the injured. The only thing Mike had to do was be here for his friend.

Not knowing what else to do, Mike caught hold of Roy's nearest hand. The paramedic didn't seem to lie being covered all that well, he had both of his hands on top of the blankets. Roy hated the feeling of confinement the blankets were giving him.

Instinctively, Roy tightened his fingers around Mike's. Knowing that the engineer was nearby and watching over him helped Roy push some of the other distractions away. The shaking subsided slightly. It hurt like hell but Roy couldn't stop it.

"You're okay now, Roy," Mike said in a low voice. He needed to know Roy could hear him but not the other people in the room. He'd be embarrassed if he knew they'd heard what he was saying. "We're going to get you out of here and back home where you belong."

"Thank you," Roy breathed. Now that he knew he was safe, exhaustion came crashing down on him. Even as he gave into the gentle folds of sleep, Roy kept a grip on Mike's hand. He needed to know that he was there, watching over him.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

The decision was made to wait out the storm at the cabin. There was no way a helicopter could reach them in the swirling winds and lightning. On top of that, the officer in charge had lost contact with the base camp. They were too far in the bottom of the valley for the hand held radio to work. He sent one of his men to go to the top of the ridge. If he still couldn't reach base camp, he was to keep going. The officer figured they were better off staying here with the wounded than trying to haul them through the trees and over the hills.

"What's going on?" Roy asked when he finally came around. Mike was still sitting beside him, Roy's right hand held tightly in his hand. Johnny was hovering over Connors, doing what he could for the badly beaten man. The policemen had moved Johnson's body. None of them wanted to have to look at it any longer than necessary.

"We're waiting for the storm to pass by," Mike responded. Without saying a word, he held a glass to Roy's lips and helped the senior paramedic drink. "One of the sheriffs has gone to contact base camp. There's no reception down here and the phone lines were cut."

"How's Connors doing?" Roy asked once he drained the glass. Now that he wasn't fighting for his life, Roy realized just how badly he smelled. It had been a long couple of days. He really needed a shower.

"He has a broken arm, some cracked ribs, bruising and superficial scrapes. Johnny figures he'll be okay," Mike said. He tried to help Roy get comfortable. He could see on the paramedic's face that he was in pain. "How are you?"

"Ribs hurt," Roy admitted. Roy had found very quickly that shifting around to get into a more comfortable position only made things worse. At least the shaking had stopped, which helped.

"Well, the police officers are hoping to get an ambulance in here to move both of you out. For now all you have to worry about is getting some more sleep," Mike said. He turned long enough to put another couple of logs on the fire. Then he settled down beside Roy again.

"There were more of them," Roy said between clenched teeth. The ribs were really starting to ache.

"We know. There are searchers out all through this area looking for them. Don't worry, they'll be caught soon enough," Mike tried to reassure him. Outside the dogs had started baying again. They were unhappy at being confined to one of the sheds.

"Hey Roy," Johnny said as he joined the two firefighters. He'd finished working on Connors.

"How's Joanne?" Roy asked. His wife and kids were going to be beside themselves with worry. That was the thing he hated most about the whole escapade.

"She's pretty worried," Johnny admitted. He was sitting on his butt on the opposite side of Roy. In the fire light, the senior paramedic could see his face very plainly. "When they get hold of base camp, they'll let her know that we've found you and you're okay."

"Good," Roy said. His eyes kept sliding shut on him. He was having trouble staying awake. Then he realized he didn't have to fight it any longer. He was safe.

OOOOO

Shortly after the storm broke, the sun came peeking over the eastern horizon. The officer in charge was just getting ready to send the dogs and their handlers out again when an ambulance came skidding into the lane. The police officer had gotten through to headquarters.

Right behind the ambulance were two police cars and a van. The attendants jumped out of the ambulance and sprinted up the stairs. The gurney clattered between them as it thumped up the steps. Right behind them came Captain Stanley, Marco and Chet. They'd hitched a ride in the back of the squad cars.

"Johnny?" Hank called as soon as he stepped into the dark confines of the cabin. The fire did little to help him see after being in the bright sunlight.

"Yeah, Cap. We're over here," Johnny answered. Quickly, he and Mike moved out of the way to let the attendants reach Roy.

"How is he?" Hank demanded as he watched the two men carefully lift a groggy Roy onto the gurney.

"He has some broken ribs, a head injury and cuts and bruises. I think he avoided the worst of it," Johnny replied. Now that Roy was found and on his way to the hospital, Johnny was aware of just how tired he really was. And his cold was back.

"Good. Let's follow him in. The police officers have a pretty good line on the rest of the convicts. They don't need us anymore," Hank said as he followed the attendants and the gurney. Silently, the rest of A shift shuffled along behind him.

It took a few more minutes to load Connors up in the ambulance as well. Then they were splashing down the muddy roads. Johnny had climbed in with his partner. The ambulance attendants weren't trained as paramedics and he wanted to make sure that Roy got everything he needed during the trip in. Very early on Johnny realized just how much pain the trip was causing Roy but with the head injury he didn't dare ask to give him morphine. Silently, Roy bore it. He was going to Rampart, his second home away from home. With any luck Joanne would be there waiting for him. The nightmare was over. He'd woken up to find a beautiful morning and good friends waiting for him. Nothing else really mattered.

Epilogue:

A week in the hospital just about drove Roy crazy. He figured Dr. Bracket had prescribed it mostly to keep an eye on his emotional health more so than his physical health. The first two nights he'd woken in the night following harrowing dreams. Most of the time he got away from Johnson but not all the time. It was after the ones where he didn't get away that Roy woke up soaked in sweat, trembling like a leaf. His voice was usually raw from screaming. At least he figured that was what he was doing because he always woke up to find a nurse or a doctor hovering over him, a look of concern printed on their faces.

Joanne and the kids came to visit as often as they could. Dr. Bracket kept the visits short to give Roy as much time to sleep as possible. For the first two days that worked out fine for him but after that Roy started to find the time long. Even Johnny was only allowed in for short visits. That drove both of them nuts.

It was on the last day that Roy got a different visitor. The jeweller knocked on the door before quietly padding inside.

"Hello Mr. DeSoto," he said, a shy smile gracing his lips. "I heard on the television about your troubles. I was hoping that by giving you this may help." The little man held out a beautiful velvet box.

Tentatively, Roy accepted the box and carefully opened it up. Inside was the most beautiful pendant he'd ever seen. Looking up at the man, Roy found it hard to express his appreciation. "Thank you," was the only thing that would come out.

"I hope your wife likes it, you certainly went through enough to get it," the jeweller said. Then he turned and headed toward the door.

"I'm sorry, I don't have any money with me. I'll have to come by and pay for it after I'm released," Roy said. The necklace seemed surreal after all that had transpired. He looked at it again just to make sure it was really there.

"Don't worry about it. I hadn't planned on charging you in the first place. You and your co workers do this city a service that can't be repaid in money. This is my small way of showing my appreciation. Be well, Mr. DeSoto." With that, the jeweller left the room.

At that moment, Joanne walked in. She'd left the kids with the sitter. She had some very good news that she wanted to share with Roy alone. Well, almost alone. Right behind her came Johnny.

"Good afternoon," Joanne said as she sat down on the edge of Roy's bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Roy responded. He didn't even think about hiding the box in his hand. "I have something for you. It's a little early but I can't wait until your birthday to give it to you."

"I have something for you too, honey. Dr. Bracket said I can take you home today. Johnny's here to make sure everything goes smoothly," Joanne said as she accepted the closed box. With a curious glance at her husband, she carefully opened the box. Immediately upon seeing the perfectly sculpted necklace, tears sprang to her eyes. "Is this the reason? Is this why you were out there that day?"

The whole thing was spirally out of control. This wasn't the memory Roy wanted attached to his wife's necklace. Maybe he should have waited until her birthday. He was just never very good at keeping secrets from his wife. He couldn't find the words to make this all right.

"Yes. That's where he was that day," Johnny said. He'd tried to hide in the corner. This was a private moment between a man and his wife. But he could see that Roy was struggling. "That's why I couldn't tell you. I didn't want to ruin the surprise."

"This looks just like the one I got from my Grandmother," Joanne breathed. She kept looking between the pendant and her husband. The man she'd nearly lost so he could get this made for her. Love and awe burned through her heart.

"I gave the jeweller a picture so he could make you another one," Roy said. He held Joanne's free hand. The other one was tightly grasping the box like she was afraid it was going to get away on her, to disappear just like its original.

"Oh, Roy, this is the best birthday present I've ever gotten. Thank you so much!" Joanne said as she threw her arms around Roy, giving him as tight a hug as she dared.

"You're welcome," Roy replied, a little embarrassed that his partner was witnessing this show of affection. Then he looked over at Johnny and the huge grin plastered on his face. Well, maybe it wasn't so bad.

"Let's get you home. The kids are waiting," Johnny said as he pulled a wheel chair into the room. As expected, he got a glare from his partner. Roy really hated those things. "But maybe we should get you into something other than your pyjamas first though."

"There's something else I have to do first." Taking the box from his wife's hand, Roy pulled the necklace out and placed it around her neck. Ignoring the residual stiffness of his fingers, Roy closed the clasp. It looked beautiful on her. "Now we can go."

The End.


	14. Chapter 14

_I know. I said the last chapter had the epilogue. The longer I thought about it though, the more I realized some things were left unanswered. Here's my attempt at filling in some of the blanks. Enjoy!!_

_Susanne_

Epilogue:

Roy sat in the court room feeling decidedly uncomfortable. All of his cuts and bruises were long since healed and even the nightmares had stopped. Well, mostly. Roy had at first refused to come here. The last thing he wanted to do was to look on the faces of the men responsible for the worst couple of days of his life. The longer he tried to convince himself of that, the worse he'd felt.

Not all of the escaped convicts had tried to hurt Roy. In fact, Connors and the brothers had spent a great deal of time and energy trying to keep him safe. It was this fact that had finally dragged him here. He had to know why they'd risked getting caught to do that.

The benches in the room were full. The court had a packed docket that day. Roy didn't know how long he was going to have to wait but he settled in, intent on staying until the end. While he watched, several smaller cases were dealt with.

Then the side door opened and a familiar face was led into the room wearing an orange jumpsuit and chains on his ankles and wrists. Connors. The last time Roy had seem the man, he'd squared off against Johnson to give him time to escape. Connors had been severely beaten. For that Roy had a small degree of guilt. Quickly he tried to squash the emotion as he saw that Connors too had mostly healed. The man still had a rather livid scar down the right side of his face and a slight limp. The guilt slipped through again.

Behind Connors came the brothers followed by Anderson and the other two men that had escaped that day. Roy had been very grateful that the two men that had stolen his car hadn't actually managed to damage it. The car was his baby. Well, it had been. Now his priorities were just a little different.

The bailiff stood and read the docket number and the rest of the information for the charges against the six men. They stood stiffly, not bothering to turn and look at the people in the audience. It seemed they didn't want to know who was behind them or why they were there.

Quietly, Roy sat and listened as briefs of each of the men's lives and their criminal records were read aloud to bring the judge up to speed. He wasn't especially surprised to find out that Connors had a military background. The man had been in the Army during the Vietnam War. What did surprise him were the circumstances behind the man's murder conviction. He'd been protecting his wife during a fight at a bar. Since Connors was trained as a Ranger, the judge had decided his body was a lethal weapon and had thrown the book at him.

Anderson and the two men who'd stolen Roy's car had very similar backgrounds. Raised in broken, one parent homes, they'd never really had a lot of choice in life. It didn't excuse what the men had become but it helped Roy to understand them a little better.

The brothers were another story completely. Until the day they'd killed a man in cold blood, neither man had been in trouble with the law. Their lawyer had tried to get them a 'guilty by reason of mental defect' plea but the judge had thrown it out. Apparently, the brothers had decided the man they'd killed was possessed by a demon. Roy shook his head. They'd seemed san enough, now he wasn't so sure.

Finally the current charges were detailed including the kidnapping of a Los Angeles County Fireman Paramedic. Unconsciously, Roy sat forward in the bench, resting his forearms on the back of the bench in front of him. As he listened, his statement to police, made four days after the events, was read into the record. As the man read Roy's words in a dry monotone, Roy relived every minute of his ordeal.

A cold sweat broke out down Roy's back and across his forehead. The memories were still too new, too strong. Roy ran a trembling hand over his eyes, trying to wipe away the tears that had gathered there before any of the other spectators noticed.

"Well," the judge stated, having heard all the information. He turned to face the men standing in his courtroom. "We have a bit of a dilemma here, gentlemen. You were not responsible for the bus losing its brakes and careening down the side of that cliff. Furthermore you were not responsible for the fireman/paramedic coming to your aid. You are, however, responsible for your actions after having been set free."

The judge shifted in his chair while he considered everything he'd been told. While he thought, he stared long and hard at the men in front of him. Coming to a conclusion, he sat up a little straighter.

"Mr. Connors. You displayed exemplary behaviour by trying to keep the fireman/paramedic safe from your fellow inmates. Even the paramedic spoke highly of you in his statement. Taking this under consideration, I have chosen not to add any more time to your sentence. You will serve the sentence that was originally given to you.

"David and Jared Winters. You allowed yourselves to be apprehended without instance. You were not responsible for any of the injuries sustained by the paramedic during the course of events that day. While you weren't outwardly trying to protect the man, you didn't hurt him either. As a result, I have decided to not add any time to your sentences either.

"Now we come to Mr. Anderson. While you were not personally responsible for any of the paramedic's injuries, it wasn't for lack of trying. I know that I am unable to give you the sentence I would like because you can't be charges for things you wanted to do. As a result, an additional two years will be added to your sentence to be served consecutively.

"Mr. White and Mr. Harrison. You had a minimal amount of time with the victim but you are guilty of grand theft auto. An additional eight months will be added to both of your sentences to be served consecutively. Court is adjourned." The judge banged his gavel and then waited for the next case to be read.

Roy was rooted to his seat. He watched as the inmates were escorted out of the room. At the last moment, Connors looked up and made eye contact with Roy. The inmate didn't smile but Roy was sure he saw peace in the man's eyes. Connors had accepted his fate. He considered himself to be guilty because he had knowingly taken another man's life. But he'd also saved a life. He hoped somewhere in the universe that stood for something. With a slight nod at Roy, Connors allowed himself to be pushed through the door to the waiting van.

A sense of peace settled over Roy. It was over. Johnson was dead but not by his hands. The monster in his nightmares was never going to be able to touch him again. He'd seen the other men that had made his life a living hell and seen that justice had been done. Standing up, Roy slipped past the other people on the bench and left the court room. He had the feeling that tonight he wasn't going to have any nightmares. Smiling, the senior paramedic paced down the hallway and headed toward his beloved car. He was going home to his family. That was the greatest blessing of all.

The end.


End file.
